The Haunting
by BookMast3r
Summary: A haunted house. A haunted school. There's always ghosts and angry spirits. Is it just the places that Audrey Nolan, a 13 year old girl, goes to that are haunted, or is she?
1. How It All Started

**Okay, this is me trying to improve my work and make it better and better. But now that includes me starting my goosebumps story again. This one is more about ghosts, haunted things and the undead, and I think I'll do a better job writing about _that. _Oh, and if you have suggestions or anything to say, review!  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>The Haunting<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>PART 1<strong>

* * *

><p>A girl with flaming, curly red hair sat on her bed with her legs pressed against herself. She's about 13 years old. But she still wept silently to herself, making her forest green eyes puffy and red.<p>

The door to her small bedroom was shut and locked, but that didn't block out the noise from downstairs. An argument went on, and her parents shouted continuously at each other.

_Why do they always have to be like this? _she thought to herself. _Always shouting and fighting. And the rest of the time, they barely remember that I'm here. They ignore me. What kind of parents are they? _

She got up from the bed, found her winter jacket and put it on.

_And if they're not ignoring me..._she thought as she opens the door. _They punish me._

* * *

><p>"AUDREY NOLAN! Where do you think you're going?!" the girl with the red hair, Audrey, dashed past her screaming father, past the new furniture, and past the boxes that still needed to get unpacked, and towards the front door. Her father stormed over to her, and she quickly took her winter boots and stepped outside, slamming the door shut.<p>

"Josh, this is all your fault!" Audrey's mother screeched. "First starting this argument, then making our daughter so scared that she had to run away!"

"Hey - don't blame everything on _me! _It was _you _who started all this!" Josh, Audrey's father, roared.

Audrey tried to block out the shouting as she made her way down the front porch with just her woolly socks and her running shoes in her hand. She sprinted towards a maple tree in the front yard, and leans against the trunk, panting because she was breathless with fear.

Audrey fumbled around until she was finally able to get her boots on her feet, and she turned around and faced her house.

A lonely little house, on top of a hill, far away from the neighbors down below. They had just moved in. Audrey's aunt Rosa used to live in that house, but for some reason, she passed away. Aunt Rosa had left the house for their family, so of course, they moved.

Audrey followed a little path that led down the hill, towards all the other houses, and beyond. It was a chilly evening in winter, - a Saturday during winter break, to be precise - with stormy gray clouds up overhead, and sharp winds that made Audrey's curly hair blow into her face. Everything was covered in a fine and thick layer of snow, with patches of ice here and there.

_What am I going to do now? _Audrey thought gloomily. _When I go back home, they'll be furious! They're probably fighting again, blaming each other for me running away._

* * *

><p>Little 10-year-old Scott sat cross-legged on the carpet in front of the warm fire-place, his forest green eyes wide with shock. "Are you serious?" he asked.<p>

"Dead serious." replied Scott's grandmother. "It's true. You have a sister."

"Wow. Oh, wow." Scott had just been told that he actually had a _sibling. _Ever since he was a little boy, his parents were dead and he grew up with his grandma Martha. He'd had a nice and simple life.

Everyday after school, he'd come back to a nice and cozy home. His grandmother - Grandma Martha - was usually knitting by the crackling fire in the fireplace, or calling him to the kitchen for cookies, and sometimes, helping him with school work.

But knowing that he had a sibling was such a shock. Scott stared at the fire. "Why didn't I know about this before?"

"Well, when you're parents passed away, you kids were going to be raised by me and your grandfather, because that's what it said in your parents' wills. We were in different countries, so you grandfather took care of your sister in some other part of the world while I took care of you, right here in Canada." explained Grandma Martha. "We thought that you two would miss each other. So we never told you about this, I mean, you already miss your parents, don't you?"

Scott nodded. "Where is she now?"

"I don't know, Scott. All I know is that after your Grandpa Joseph died, she was given to another couple. I sure hope that they take good care of her."

"What's her name?"

"Oh, you're so full of questions!" Grandma Martha laughed lightly, but Scott stays expressionless. Would she expect him to_not _be full of questions after what he's just been told? "But anyways," continued grandma Martha. "I think its best if you do not know of her name...for now."_  
><em>

* * *

><p><em>Alright, Audrey. Be brave. <em>Audrey took a deep breath and puts her shaky hand on the doorknob. She couldn't hear any shouting from the other side anymore. Audrey doubted that her parents remembered to lock the door, and she was correct. She turned the knob easily and stepped into the warm house.

"Why, isn't it nice of you to join us, Audrey." she froze as she hears the cold voice of her father, Josh. He was the worst of the two. If she had to pick her favorite parent, it would be her mother.

"What happened while I was gone?" Audrey asked, trying not to look afraid. She found the courage to stare her father in the eyes.

Audrey's father was bad-tempered, and probably despises Audrey. He's the one that thought it was a good idea to force Audrey to go outside on a cold winter night when she was only wearing thin pajamas. It was her punishment for not being an obedient daughter and not listening.

It was her father who had yelled at Audrey so many times that Audrey thought her eardrums would burst. Audrey's mother mostly ignored her, which she respected her mother for.

"Don't change the subject, you wretch!" Josh hissed. "Anyways, we haven't decided how to punish you yet." Josh said as he paced the hallway slowly. Audrey flinched at the word _punishment, _but she kept her ground. "But you know Audrey, we might be a bit too busy for you now, with all the moving and such. So from now on, you stay in your bedroom."

And with that, he left, leaving Audrey standing there, sighing with relief.

* * *

><p>Of course Audrey couldn't stay put. She had repeatedly read the 50 books inside of her room, and there was nothing for Audrey to draw or write about in her art book and journal other than her parents arguing again. All of this, of course, Audrey had to buy with her own money. The money she had to work for since her parents would not give her any.<p>

So Audrey had exited her bedroom and gone to explore the house. Luckily, her parents weren't home at the moment - probably to go shopping - so that left her plenty of time to get to know the new house better.

Audrey had seen all the first and second floor, so she decided to go to the basement.

She opened the door leading towards the basement, and crept down the stairs. With her hands fumbling blindly around the wall, she finally found the light switch and turned it on.

The basement was not an unfinished basement with wood poking out from walls with a queer and creepy feeling filling the room. No. It was a finely finished basement that was elegantly constructed and designed.

Audrey wandered around, finding closets, another small room, the furnace room, a mini kitchen, until she finally stopped in front of the last door. She opened the door and shivered as cold air blew in.

Audrey hadn't stepped outside. She was still inside of the house. But the room was freezing - the same temperature as outside! _Probably the room that doesn't have heating. _Audrey concluded. _I heard mother talking about it to father. _

When she opened the light to the cold room, Audrey shrieked with fear with the sight in front of her.

* * *

><p><strong>OKAY! That was the first chapter! I know. Nothing scary. Not yet.<strong>


	2. A Dead Body

"Audrey, I told you to stay in your room!" Audrey sat on the small armchair with her head down and her hands in her lap as her father yelled at her. "Why can't you just be an obedient daughter?! Is it too hard to just stay put?"

"You have to listen you your parents-" Audrey's mom started to say, but Audrey interrupted suddenly.

"NO! You control freaks are _not _my parents!" she exclaims, silencing her parents for a moment. "You may act like you are, but you're not! My real parents are gone. _Dead! _And I'm stuck with you two now!"

Her mother stares at her with a shocked expression. "That is no way to talk to your-"

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Audrey wailed repeatedly.

And once again, she bolted. She thundered up the stairs, and took great strides to reach her new bedroom. When she got there, she slammed the door shut and made sure that it was locked tightly.

And then she thought about what happened just before her parents came home.

She had opened the light to the cold, cold room - and saw a body lying there. A _dead _body. A woman with pale skin, lips that were cracked and dry, long, chocolate brown hair. Audrey had shrieked with fear, and bolted up the stairs, flung the door open - only to come face to face with her parents.

_Of course they chose that exact moment to come home. Of course they just had to find me in the basement. They should see for themselves that body dead body in the basement! _

Audrey tried to calm herself down, but then the truth dawned upon her. _That...that person looked familiar. I think it's...my aunt Rosa!_

* * *

><p>That night, Audrey tucked herself in bed, trying hard to forget everything. To shut her mind down. But her brain was like a non-stop mechanic machine. It just wouldn't turn itself off and let her drift peacefully to sleep...<p>

No. She just had to remember the pale woman - her aunt Rosa? - with her lifeless body slumped on the floor.

With a sigh, Audrey knew that she wouldn't fall asleep anytime soon. She clicked on her bedside lamp, fumbled through her drawer, pulled out her journal and a pencil, then began to write.

_December 23rd, 2014._

_A horrific day. 'Mother' and 'father' argued again. I couldn't stand it. I just ran out the front door while father shouted at me. I started to wander farther and farther away._

_When I got home, father was there, waiting for me. He told me to not wander off around the house, and just stay in my room. But how could I? Mother and father had just gone out, and I knew that it was my chance to explore this foreign house._

_And then I found someone in the basement's cold-room (the room with ZERO heating). It wasn't just anyone. It was someone dead. Someone that looked like aunt Rosa._

_Creepy. Mother and father found out that I explored the house, and they lectured me. Today was the first day I talked back to them. I can't take this anymore. I have to get _away _from all of this._

_-Audrey_

Audrey was writing in a secret language that she made herself. Since she writes about her daily life and her emotions, she didn't want her parents to start asking questions about why she was writing about how much she hated them.

She had created this language about 2 years ago, and made her own punctuation and everything. She had grown used to it and every single page of her journal had this kind of writing on it.

But just when she finished writing she heard the hard wood floor creaking and groaning outside of her bedroom. Instinctively, she thought that her mom or dad was outside, so she hastily put her journal and pencil away, and just before she could turn off the lamp, it flickered and turned off all by itself.

* * *

><p>"Scott! It's December 23rd!" Scott's best friend, Evan exclaimed. "That means tomorrow's Christmas Eve!" Evan's cheeks and nose were a rosy red from being out in the cold for so long, and probably from the sudden excitement as well.<p>

Fluffy snowflakes had fallen into Scott's white-blonde hair and Evan's jet black hair after all the time they spent playing outside.

They were playing in the backyard of Scott's house - building a snowman, a snow fort, having snowball fights, and so on.

Evan sighed. "I wonder what we're gonna get for Christmas...

Then, Grandma Martha poked her head out the back door and said just loud enough for them to hear, "Come in now! You kids have been out for long enough. Time to come in and warm up!"

Scott and Evan shuffled into the house, stomping their feet on the floor mat to shake off some snow. The got out of their winter gear, then, dashed to the living room and sat in front of the fire place.

Soon after, the 3 of them were sitting by a warm fire, sipping hot chocolate and enjoying their day as the sun started to disappear, and darkness came. "Evan, I think your parents are waiting outside." Grandma Martha predicted. Just then, the doorbell rang.

Grandma Martha got up to answer the door, and of course, Evan's parents stood there. They greeted each other and then Evan got into his jacket and left, along with his parents.

After a few moments passed with just Scott and his grandmother sitting beside the crackling fire, Grandma Martha announced, "Scott, I have some information to share."

Scott asked her what it was. "Well," Grandma Martha continued. "I know where your sister is. After your grandfather passed away, a close friend of our family, Nathan Finley, was told where your sister went. He was updated on where she went at all times, in case there was trouble. I spoke with him this morning on the phone, and it turns out she moved."

"Moved where? Is she in the same country as us right now? Maybe the same city?"

"Actually...in the same neighborhood." Grandma Martha admitted.

Scott's eyes widened with surprise and excitement. "Seriously?! Which house? Can I meet her? Should I try and talk to her? Do you think her parents would be nice to us?" Scott kept on asking, until Grandma Martha ended his endless stream of questions.

"She's in the big old house up on the hill, the one away from our neighborhood, though still technically a part of it. If you want to meet her, I can take you there one day. We just have to follow the path up there."

"Grandma, you still have to tell me her name!"

"Ah, well, her last name still hasn't changed, so I'm pretty sure she's aware that her parents are not her birth parents." Grandma Martha said. She paused, then finally revealed, "Her name is Audrey Nolan.


	3. A Waking Nightmare

**AN: I know it's been a week since I updated...honestly, I was planning to update a few days ago, but who knew I'd have so much to do at school? And plus, books are amazing and I lost track of time.**

* * *

><p>"What the..." Audrey barely had time to wonder what happened. Was the light bulb of the lamp going dull?<p>

Then she heard it...the sound of her mother's voice _downstairs,_ speaking to her father. There were sounds of footsteps in the hallway, and Audrey was starting to get scared. Both her parents are downstairs, so who could possibly be outside right now?

Audrey made herself shrink and hide under the blankets. She could still hear her parents' voices coming up from the air vent. There was a knock on her door...Audrey shut her eyes tight.

Then, without warning, the door was slammed open. _How? _she wondered. _I locked the door! I could have sworn I locked the door when I came up...to keep my parents away!_

Then the footsteps started to approach her bed, and all thought and wonder inside of Audrey was now replaced with fear. She felt something brush against her bed sheets...and waited.

Nothing happened for a long time. Soon, Audrey drifted off to sleep from the exhaustion of fear.

* * *

><p>When Audrey woke up, the sun was just starting to come out. Everything barely had color - it was mostly gray inside Audrey's room.<p>

She remembered when she was just a kid, there were nights when Audrey could scarcely get any sleep at all. She'd only be able to fall asleep when the moonlight trickled by and the dull morning suddenly became colorful. And then Audrey's eyes would get heavy and she'd finally doze off - only to be awoken again.

Audrey yawned. She felt tired - but why? What had kept her up all night long? And then she remembered what happened last night. She tried to push the thoughts out of her mind as she got up - but when she tried to get up, Audrey soon realized that she _couldn't. _She felt frozen in place.

_What's going on? Why can't I move?! _Many thoughts raced through Audrey's mind. And then the buzzing sounds started. It sounded like a fly was buzzing in her ears, though the sound was coming from her mind.

And then Audrey felt as though she stopped breathing. Why? Because she felt herself being _pushed _into the bed forcefully. As if something heavy was resting on her chest. As if something was trying to strangle her.

Despite the feeling of being strangled, her throat had closed up with fear. Audrey had no idea what was going on, but she was frightened.

And then the buzzing ceased. _Does this mean I can breath again? _Audrey thought hopefully. But no. The buzzing only ceased to allow whispering to enter her mind. Audrey tried to pay no attention at all to the whispering, and she shut her eyes tight. At least she could still control her eyes.

_No...stop...stop...STOP! _she willed herself to move again, and then she felt her fingertips brush against the blankets as she was able to control herself once more.

_It's over...but what was it?_

It took Audrey several moments to lie in bed, just to recollect herself and ponder on what happened. Also, she was too afraid to move. What if something attacked her like that again?

She got up and dressed quickly, watching everything around suspiciously. Then she made her way downstairs.

Audrey sat at breakfast that morning, shivers going down her back as she kept on recalling what happened. There were moments when it just seemed so unbelievably that Audrey almost thought that she imagined it all - but she could never forget the feeling she got when she could no longer breath.

What was for breakfast? Cornflakes. Audrey had barely touched her breakfast. She ate about 2 bites and then sat there, lost in thought.

"Audrey, finish your breakfast now, will you?" Audrey's mother said while flipping the page of a newspaper.

"I'm just not that hungry." Audrey mumbled.

"Well, finish eating it, or else it'll be a great waste. If you wanna go anywhere today, clear out that bowl and you'll be free to go." Her mother sipped her coffee and then fell silent as Audrey gulped the cornflakes down.

Audrey already decided to go to the Library to do some research. Plus, it also helped her get away from her parents.

When Audrey finished her breakfast, she quickly got up and grabbed her jacket. "I'm going out for a while." she announced as she pulled her tall, black boots on. Before anyone could say anything, she was out the door.

* * *

><p>"Wait a minute, <em>Audrey Nolan?!" <em>Scott asked Grandma Martha with a shocked expression.

She frowns. "Why yes, is there something-"

"She just moved into our neighborhood!" Scott exclaimed, jumping up. "I heard the neighbors talking about her and her family!"

"Oh, well isn't that a coincidence."

"Grandma, I _have _to meet her. I have to. She's my _sister!"_

"Yes, I know."

"Can we go visit her tomorrow? Please?"

Grandma Martha sighed. "I'm afraid not."

Scott gaped at her. "W-why not?"

"Because, if some complete stranger came into our house and told you that they were your sibling, " Grandma Martha explains slowly. "How would you react?"

"Er...I don't think I'd have a reaction at all, since I would _never _let a stranger into our house."

"Oh yes, and there's that. I don't think Audrey's family would welcome us..." Grandma Martha sat with her face scrunched up in thought, then finally said, "Scott, I'm going upstairs now. You should too. I wouldn't leave you alone downstairs."

"Okay..." Scott murmured, and the two of them got up and made their way up the wooden staircase.

Scott was eager to meet this mysterious sister of his. He felt as if this was the key to some excitement in his life - for everything had always been dull, simple, and sometimes, boring.

Plus, Scott wouldn't be so lonely anymore. Sure, Grandma Martha was great, but she was old and often needed to rest, which left Scott having to entertain himself.

After a long time in his bedroom, Scott finally grew weary and collapsed on his bed. The last thing he saw before he fell asleep was the numbers of the digital clock flashing before his eyes.

The next morning, Scott woke up - still in his clothes - and with a storm of white-blonde hair that flew in every single direction on his head. "Ugh..." he groaned as he got up, then looked at the time. Six o'clock AM!

Scott yawned, then murmured to himself, "Well, I better get ready now. I have to buy some things at the Bakery today."

* * *

><p>Fortunately, Audrey was able to make it to the Library without freezing into a Popsicle. She only had a layer of dark jeans on her legs, her jacket just wasn't warm enough, and the sweater she wore underneath let a bunch of freezing cold air in.<p>

Other than that, she didn't have the proper winter gear. No had, no mitts, no scarf. Nothing except the boots and the thin jacket. When Audrey got to the doors of the library though, she realized that she was too early.

The Library was open at nine o'clock AM. Right now, It was almost seven o'clock. "Oh no..." Audrey moaned, and she saw her breath in the air. "I'm going to _freeze _out here!"

So she decided to go to the Bakery - only a block away.

As she entered the store, she heard a bell ring. The warmth crept back into her body and she sighed with relief. At least the Bakery was open. Of course, Audrey wasn't going to buy anything. She barely had any money on her. And she wasn't hungry anyways.

Audrey looked inside her jacket and found wide pockets. There, she discovered a thin book that she kept there, so she sat down on one of the chairs and started to read.

A waitress came up to her no more than fifteen minutes later and asked, "May I help you?"

Audrey glanced up from the book and managed a smile. "Oh, I'm just here because I have nowhere else to stay in the meantime, I'll be out soon enough."

The waitress nodded. "Miss, would you like a free hot drink, though? We may be a Bakery, but we still give out drinks every once in a while. Today's one of our special days."

"Oh, well in that case, I would like one."

And with that, the waitress left to greet other customers who were settling themselves down, and then went back to the kitchen.

Audrey received her drink a few moments later - hot chocolate. She sipped the warm drink gratefully and felt like that was the most perfect moment - no parents, a nice book, and a nice drink as well.

But then, Audrey felt someone _watching her. _She turned her head around and saw a little boy - about 10 years old with white-blonde hair, watching her with a peculiar expression.


	4. Nightmares Explained

Audrey stared back at the child with the white-blonde hair, a bit confused. _Maybe he's looking at what's _behind_ me, _Audrey thought as she saw the child quickly turn to stare past her. _Yes, that must be it._

Audrey settled back down and tried to enjoy her book, and when she finally finished her hot chocolate, she threw it away. The clock ticked by as she read on, and she only glanced up occasionally to check on the child.

The child had gotten up only to buy a few loaves of bread - which took a bit of waiting since many people got up early to shop at the Bakery -, he settled back down in his seat and slowly, piece by piece, finished a bit more than a quarter of a loaf of bread he had bought.

Audrey had seen most of what this peculiar child did by using her peripheral vision. When it was a few minutes past eight o'clock, the child got up and left, leaving Audrey more focused on her book than before.

* * *

><p>Running back home, Scott tried to ignore the chilling coldness. He could feel his cheeks, ears, and the tip of his nose go red, and he pushed himself to run faster. The faster he got home, the better.<p>

"Grandma!" Scott panted when he stepped inside. He handed the bag of bread over to her, then quickly said, "I have to go, Grandma. I'll be back before you know it!"

"Where do you think you're-" Grandma Martha started to say, but was interrupted by Scott.

"To the Library! I, uh, need to research on something!"

"Oh, I'll go with you then. Just hold on a second. I'll take a while to get my-"

"No! You don't need to go with me. I'll be fine on my own."

Grandma Martha frowned. "Scott, I don't see why you're in such a hurry."

"It's, er, it's cause I intend to stay for a long time and I know that...you're busy today because of...because you need to visit Miss Kurt today!" Scott responded, trying to find a good excuse for his grandmother to stay.

He needed to get back to the Bakery fast - before Audrey left. He wanted to speak to her, and get to know her. _She must be going to my school in January, after Winter Break. _Scott kept on telling himself. _I could wait until then to talk to her._

But he couldn't wait. Not after he had just seen her in the flesh and he knew exactly where she was at this moment. Scott had seen Audrey walk down the path from the hill countless times while he sat by the living room window. He knew what she looked like. Now, he was getting his chance to meet her.

"Ah, yes...Miss Kurt..." Grandma Martha stroked her chin and narrowed her eyes as she remembered how she planned to visit their neighbor today. "How nice of you to remember Scott. But, you're not staying _that _long, r-"

"I am. I need to do all of my research there since you didn't give me a library card yet, so I can't take the books home." Scott explained quickly.

"So, Scot. What exactly are you studying right now? What subject? What topic? Maybe I could help you."

Scott could tell that Grandma Martha was in no hurry, but he was. He quickly glanced at the clock on the wall just behind Grandma Martha, and saw that about 15 minutes had gone by already. "I'm, uh, studying the human body in science. But there's no time to talk right now! Bye!"

And then Scott turned sharply and sprinted back towards the Bakery.

"That's strange..." Grandma Martha murmured to herself. "I thought the Library opened at nine o'clock. It's only nearly eight thirty. Why's the child in such a rush today, eh?"

* * *

><p>Placing the book back into the gigantic pocket that Audrey had, she got up to exit the shop. It was just about to become nine o'clock, so Audrey braced herself to step back into the coldness of the outside.<p>

She placed the hood of her jacket on her head, zipped the zipper up as high as it could go, and when she finally opened the door, she stuffed her hands deep inside her pockets.

Audrey took long strides down the block all the way towards the Library, and relief washed over her as she saw that they were just opening up. _Now I can get some explanations on what happened this morning!_

As Audrey was just about to open the door, something stopped her. She felt like she was...being watched. Again. Like someone was staring at her so hard, that they were sending darts flying out at her just with their eyes.

It was the same feeling she had inside the Bakery when the little boy was there. Audrey quickly turned around and saw a flash of color as someone darted behind a pine tree. _It must be him again, _she concluded. _He must be following me. But for what reason, I have no idea._

Then she stepped inside the Library and greeted the warmth.

* * *

><p><em>What luck, <em>Scott chuckled to himself as he thought. _She actually _is_ going to the Library. Now, if Grandma searches for me, I'll be right there!_

He stepped away from the pine tree - his formal hiding spot - and dashed towards the great double doors that led to the Library - the home of the books.

Scott had been waiting outside the Bakery for maybe an hour or more. Waiting for Audrey to finally step outside so that he could speak to her. But his chance to confront her never came, and he ended up having to follow her._  
><em>

He felt a bit..._awkward _for being so young yet already, technically, _stalking _someone.

Scott's toes and fingertips felt frozen. The cold stung at him with no mercy, flowing through all the warm layers he wore with ease. His feet were so cold, that as Scott ran, he couldn't feel his feet at all. He couldn't feel where his boots thudded on the ground. All he knew was that he was moving forwards.

As he stepped through the great double doors and into the grand building of the Library, Scott heaved a heavy sigh as he felt the warm slowly seeping back into him.

He stomped his feet on the mat right in front of the doors and got rid of a great amount of snow. Then, he scanned the room, searching for the bright flare of his sister's curly hair.

When he couldn't find her, he decided to roam the Library and search. The long shelves of books in the Library created long rows. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Scott spotted Audrey sitting on the ground in one of the rows.

Audrey was so focused, so engrossed in the book that she was reading, she barely took notice of Scott, even though he was standing in plain sight at the end of the row.

Scott stepped out of sight and let himself get lost in the maze of books, and tried to find a way to get a conversation starting. When he could find no idea, he slumped down on the ground and pulled a random book out of the shelf and started flipping through the pages.

* * *

><p>Audrey sits on the floor and reads away. She found a book talking about common nightmares and why they happen. She was hoping that what happened this morning was a nightmare, so that the book could tell her why that had occurred.<p>

_Nightmares Explained_

_By Jeff Beatitude_

_Everyone gets nightmares. But not many understand what they mean. They just scare us, make us fear things. In this book, I shall try my best to explain the many common nightmares and why they occur._

_Some nightmares include deaths, and there are people that believe that it means a desire to make a positive changes in your life. If you almost die in your nightmare, it can indicate a fear or failure._

_Spiders. Most people tend to fear spiders, since they are creepy crawlies. If your nightmare includes a spider, it can mean that you are manipulating someone else, or someone is manipulating you. Either way, it's not very pleasant._

_A sign that you are avoiding something in your life can occur when you dream of being chased. You may also be refusing to deal with problems._

_You may get lost in this nightmare of yours, and the explanation is similar. You actually may be close to losing, or already lost your direction in real life, or maybe you are afraid of not fitting in._

_Falling...falling...it's a warning. A warning that in this life of yours, something is out of control. Or it could relate to disappointment and being let down by a trusted friend of yours._

_And here is a common nightmare I am about to explain. It's not technically a nightmare, more like your imagination. It is called Sleep Paralysis. It's when you are awake and you are frozen in place, and you may be experiencing something scary or seeing things that aren't actually there. But not to worry, it's just your imagination, right? Some say that if you go with the flow and let it pass, it'll go by quicker. Others have a theory that a demon is latched onto you if you experience this._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Some of the facts in the book are from a video I watched (10 Common Nightmares Explain - By Alltime 10). The author is fake, and I am just letting you know. Hopefully, this story is actually creepy (like what a horror story should be like) and that whoever is reading will review.<strong>


	5. The Newspaper

**AN: I shall try to make more chapters more often, and hopefully not just once a week. And also, I was rather excited this morning when I saw that there were more reviews. And about Audrey and Scott meeting...that shall be in a future chapter, so don't worry. Just so you know, I'll try to make this story _real _scary_._**

* * *

><p>Audrey glanced up from the book and shivered. <em>So it's called sleep paralysis...<em>she thought. _And is there a demon latched onto me?__  
><em>

For the next 2 hours, Audrey sat there, trapped in a different world that talked about all the different kinds of nightmares and, more importantly, sleep paralysis. Audrey read from book to book, each one leaving a mark on her and encouraging her to read on.

Then, when she felt as if she knew all that there was to know about the world of nightmares, Audrey set the books back in the shelf and got up. She walked away from the shelves of books and was pondering on what she had just read, when she saw the little kid with the white-blonde hair.

She stopped and narrowed her eyes at him, as if trying to read his mind and find out why he had been following her - which is what Audrey guessed that he did. And then she walked away.

Audrey walked back towards the great double doors and walked outside. A storm was about to come, and small snowflakes already floated down from the sky. Audrey walked as fast as she could back home, and when she reached home, the first thing she did was go upstairs and record everything she had just learned in her journal.

* * *

><p><em>Grandma's probably right, <em>Scott thought gloomily as he trudged back home. _It would be weird to just randomly pop up and tell someone that you're related to them. I guess I could just wait until school starts again...the teachers will find out for themselves that we're related, since we have the same last name. Or..._Scott's eyes lit up as he thought of other possibilities. _Maybe she'll try to meet the neighbors. Maybe she'll visit everyone from time to time, and then I'd get my chance to tell her everything!_

He tried to ask himself why he was so desperate. Maybe it was because his life had always been a bit dull. Or maybe it was because ever since his parents were gone, there was always something missing, despite the fact that Grandma Martha had been there.

Ever since he was a little kid, he'd dream about what it would be like if he had a complete family. But that would never happen. One day, Grandma would die too, and where would he be? At the orphanage? Or possibly with Audrey and her parents.

Scott wondered what her new parents were like. Why had she been with them in the first place? Why hadn't Audrey been sent to live with him and Grandma Martha? Before he knew it, Scott was standing at the door to his house.

It was almost lunchtime, and Scott knew that Grandma Martha wasn't home. Of course, she was visiting Miss Kurt at the moment, and was only a few houses away.

There was a pile of rocks in the front lawn - decorative rocks - and they were all up against the wall, piling on top of each other and beside each other. There was one rock that was darker than the rest, and Scott knew that it was glued to the top of a pill bottle. Inside the pill bottle was the spare key to the house.

Scott retrieved the key from the bottle, opened the door, then carefully placed the key back inside it's hiding spot.

Once he was inside the house, Scott made himself a sandwich to eat, and then started wandering around. He came upon the small studying room inside the house and stepped in.

There was a wooden desk and many shelves filled with books in the room. On the desk, there were sheets of paper and a few pencils. And there were also a few old newspapers on it, along with some letters.

Scott strode over and picked up one of the newspapers, curious to read what was printed upon it. But what he read shocked him.

* * *

><p><em>And I also found out that...<em>

Audrey was just about to finish writing down the facts that she had found, when she heard a knock in her closet. She froze immediately, and fear started to creep into her.

A second knock.

_Oh no...what now?_ Audrey thought frantically.

There were a series of knocks, and all of a sudden, a thought struck Audrey. _It's Morse Code! _She tried to push away the fear and started to listen intently, even though she knew she might fear what the message might be.

_This...is...a...warning...Audrey...Nolan..._the message said.

Since Audrey was always ignored and shunned by her parents, she spent an awful lot of time learning curious new things, and she was rather familiar with Morse Code. She was just about to bravely respond when another message came.

_Murderer...murderer...beware...of...the...dead...murderer...the...ghost...of...the...criminal...is...worse...than...the...living...one..._

And that was all.

* * *

><p><strong><em>-CRIMINAL CAUGHT!-<em>**

**_September 28, 2004_**

_Reports of murder were received, and now there is finally proof._

_On September 13, 2004, Maddox Bernard, a psychotic man, has been seen in the house of the Nolan family, and slain the couple, Laura and Mike Nolan. They had been shot and wounded, and the only good thing was that 2 children, Scott and Audrey Nolan, had been saved during all of this._

_The children have been sent to live with their grandparents, due to the will of Laura and Mike, though have been living in separate countries. One was raised by the grandmother, and the other by the grandfather._

_After a short period of time, Audrey Nolan was sent to live with family friends, and the reason being was that the grandparent was close to death and the grandmother was ill. _

_During all of this, Maddox had been running free and wild, with the police tailing after them from one place to the next. _

_He was only found again when there was a report of yet another murder, and it was Audrey Nolan's new Aunt Rosa who had died on September 19. The police have found that Rosa had been suffocated after Maddox admitted what he had done. Maddox had said, 'I was going after the child. She was still alive. But Rosa got in the way, so I had to finish her off.'_

_And Rosa's the body was never found. The house had many rooms - many of them locked - and the police never had to time to figure out exactly where the corpse of Rosa lay, because of the commotion that followed Maddox's confession._

_Maddox had raised his gun high and proud, like a threat. But instead of shooting the police, he shot himself._

Scott stood there, completely dumbstruck by what he had just read. First of all, he found out exactly what happened to his parents, and a bit more. And second of all, he had been in a newspaper all along and no one bothered to tell him!

Scott shook his head violently, as if trying to shake off the chill that started to creep up to him. He sat down on the desk, and started to uncover more information from the newspapers and letters.


	6. Someone New

**AN: How was that last chapter? I decided that I should give a bit more info on the past, and thus, the newspaper chapter was born! Remember, if you have any thoughts on the story, review. Oh, and AlecReyes19 asked me to tell ppl about his poll, so here it is: Go vote for your favorite author.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><em>Dear Martha...<em>

_From Joseph..._

_Are you feeling better...?_

_Audrey is doing fine, how's Scott...?_

_Martha, my final days are coming..._

Scott skimmed through letter after letter that his Grandpa Joseph had written to Grandma Martha. Scott started to understand more, and slowly started to accept it all. After every letter he read, he paused to think about it and let the words float through his mind and sink their meaning deep into his head.

_So all this time, _Scott thought. _Audrey was given to another couple, because Grandpa Joseph was dying, and Grandma Martha was ill as well. And that other couple was a family friend! That means Grandma must know about them! But...who was this 'Maddox' person? Why did he kill my parents, and try to go after my sister? She must be so frightened, knowing that her Aunt had died because of this man!  
><em>

He sat there, staring at all the old newspapers and letters that were lying in a mess on the desk. He was so deep in thought, that he almost forgot where he was. Then, all of a sudden, he heard someone ring the doorbell.

Throwing the letters and newspapers back on the desk, Scott pushed the chair back and got up at the same time with some haste, almost knocking the desk and the chair over. He sprinted out the door, down the hall, and down the staircase with his feet thudding on the steps, all the way to the front door.

Scott pushed the curtain that was covering the door window open a bit, just to see who it was.

Then he opened the door.

* * *

><p>Audrey had dressed up warmly for her walk to the mall. When she got there, that's when she realized that it was Christmas Eve. The walls, ceilings and stores were well decorated with streamers, bows, wreaths and gigantic ornaments and snowflakes.<p>

Everyone Audrey passed by seemed to be in a great mood; smiling and laughing, talking with their friends and family. All Audrey wanted to do was wander around and get lost in the delighted crowd. Maybe the emotion would rub off on her.

Some people handed out candy canes. Audrey took one and kept one end in her mouth until the tip became so pointy that it hurt her tongue.

Audrey visited all the stores in the great mall, and she kept on seeing things. Surely, it was just her eyes playing tricks on her, for she saw a transparent man roaming the mall with a gun and an evil scowl.

_Of course it's just me, _Audrey thought. _I'm just imagining things. Ghosts don't exist. Whatever was knocking on my closet door probably wasn't there. Maybe it was just some annoying little kid throwing rocks and pebbles at the window, and was trying to scare me with the Morse Code. _Then Audrey grimaced. _How many people actually know Morse Code? Who would even walk all the way up the hill to my house? And what of that message? Coincidence? I think not._

Only then did she realize she was already walking back to her home, outside of the mall, in the bitter coldness. She had only went to the mall in the first place to get away from her problems. To get distracted by everyone and their cheerfulness. It was, of course, December 24, Christmas Eve. People were bound to get presents and they were probably ecstatic about it. But Audrey wasn't.

How long had she been in the mall? Probably no longer than half an hour. What made her leave so quickly? Was she so lost in thought that she just...left? Even Audrey didn't know the answer.

She was alone on the snowy trail that was starting to curve upwards, towards the hill and her new home. Alone...

It was only then that Audrey realized she wasn't alone at all. She was being followed.

* * *

><p>"Grandma, why'd you ring the doorbell?" Scott had just opened the door to see his Grandma with her back facing the door, fiddling with the keys.<p>

"Sorry dear, I had the key but I must have rang the doorbell by accident." Grandma Martha apologized. "You can get back to whatever you were doing, I'm a bit busy right now."

Scott scrunched up his face. "Why?"

"Well, your old Grandma just remembered that today was Christmas Eve, and she has to go and write some Christmas letters and cards." Then she started to slowly walk over to the staircase - the way that old people walk - and made her way up the stairs.

When Scott heard the door to Grandma Martha's bedroom slam shut, he quietly made his way to the couch in the living room, then unfolded the newspaper in his pocket.

Scott had taken the newspaper with the information of the criminal.

* * *

><p>The words, 'Who's there?' nearly slipped past Audrey's lips before she realized that it wouldn't do her any good. Who would answer her in the first place? Audrey only scanned her surroundings, expecting to see the transparent man with the gun and scowl striding towards her.<p>

But he was nowhere to be found.

Shivering from the cold and her fears, Audrey took a slow step forward. She felt someone's presence near her, and she turned sharply around, just in time to see someone dart out of sight.

"I saw you!" Audrey called out, and after only a moments wait, a little girl, about 9 years old, stepped into view.

The little girl had straight, white blonde hair, crystal blue eyes, and was rather small, pale and skinny. "Um...hi." she said awkwardly.

"Why have you been following me?" Audrey demanded, trying not to sound stern. She wasn't used to 'communicating' with other people, especially children.

"I...er...you see, you just moved around here, right?" the little girl asked, her bright eyes glinting.

"Yes..."

"Well, you see, it gets kinda boring and lonely around here, and I decided to try to meet the new girl. But I wanted to follow you first." The little girl smiled sweetly.

"Why follow me?"

"It's not everyday that I get the chance to be a secret spy!" the little girl huffed and held her head high. Audrey instinctively knew that this girl was very imaginative.

"What's your name, may I ask? I do think that you already know mine." Audrey said politely.

"Yes, Audrey Nolan. I do know your name. My name is Clementine Earl."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Okay. I know that I've been gone for about two weeks or so and that you people thought I died or something, but now I'm back. You may be wondering why was I gone for so long and the answer is simple. CHRISTMAS. I was makingsewing/sketching/ink sketching cards for all my friends and I gave myself a two week head start. I only finished just in time. You people are probably not interested in reading about my life anymore, and if anyone heard of Clementine Earl in my deleted story, I'll just tell you now that SHE'S BACK and a bit different.**


	7. Friends

**AN: I shall try to update as much as I can, since it's winter break. But I'm sick, so that may prove to be a bit difficult.  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Clementine Earl woke up to the sound of her 1-year-old baby sister, Charlotte, crying. Clementine's 12-year-old brother, Charles was just next door and playing on his computer with the volume up all the way. Clara, her 7-year-old sister, wasn't doing a good job of keeping her mouth shut.<p>

Clara stood right beside Clementine's bed, and would not go away. "Clementine! Mom told me to wake you up! I agree, I mean you've been sleeping for like, forever."

"Go away, Clara." Clementine grumbled.

"But mom said-"

"Clara, just go! It's not like _you _ever get up when I try to wake you up! Plus, I was awake ages ago. I just didn't get up."

Clara stuck her tongue out, then stormed out of the room with her chin held high. Clementine rolled her eyes and then sat up. She got dressed in a sweater and sweatpants and then did her regular morning routine, then went down for breakfast.

Was it always like this? Yes. Charles would be wasting his eyes and melting his brain by being on his computer 24/7 and Clara would be popping up everywhere and telling Clementine things that she didn't care about. Ah yes, and Charlotte would be doing what a baby does: Eating, sleeping, crying, or just being adorable.

In Clementine's opinion, Charlotte was the only acceptable sibling. Clara was too annoying and talked too much, and Charles doesn't even bother to talk to her. He pretty much only cared about his computer. Clementine smiled at the memory of when his computer had some type of virus.

Clementine had to share a room with Clara, which was her worst nightmare. Charles got his own room and Charlotte was usually in her parents' room. They lived in a apartment, close to the school.

The house was usually chaotic and noisy, but all Clementine had to do was ignore and avoid Clara and everything would be peaceful in her world.

Clementine often listened to music to relax. In fact, she was great at music. She played the piano at home and the saxophone at school, as well as the bells and xylophone. Music was one of her most favorite things.

It was December 24, Christmas Eve, and Clementine made her way down the hall and to the kitchen. After she ate breakfast, her parents went out shopping, Charles locked himself in his room with his computer, Clara went to a friends house, Charlotte napped, and Clementine found herself with nothing to do.

So she went outside. She decided that it was time to step into the outdoors and maybe walk around a bit. That's how she bumped into Audrey Nolan. When she did see Audrey, Clementine seized the opportunity to test her stealth skills. Could she spy on Audrey until she decided it was time to properly greet her?

Clementine did pretty good at following Audrey until she decided that the game was getting a bit too boring. It was too simple and easy. So she decided to run from one side of the path to the other, and still try not to be seen. That's when she got caught. That's when the game ended. She had to introduce herself.

* * *

><p>Back at 27, Birch Elm (this was the address that was never mentioned), Scott stared at the newspaper, but wasn't quite seeing. He had reread the paper a billion times, and his eyes were growing tired from staring at it for so long.<p>

Grandma Martha had come down once to bake some chocolate biscotti, and Scott still tasted chocolate.

_Give your eyes a break, Scott. Your eyes are the most important thing! If you can't see, how can you live? _Scott thought back on what Grandma Martha always said when he had been reading for too long.

Only then did Scott notice the chill coming from the open window. Open window? Grandma probably had to open them up to get fresh air. Maybe she burned something while the biscotties were baking, and maybe the window was opened to let the air in.

It probably was.

Scott walked over to the window - newspaper still clutched tightly in his hand - and stared outside at the winter wonderland. It was becoming afternoon, no longer early in the morning, and people were waking up from their lazy slumber.

Scott took another step, ready to close the window, but tripped over something - a few messy wires on the floor - and fell. His hands flailed and tried to grab the air, and the next thing Scott knew was that the newspaper was gone.

* * *

><p>"Um...hi." Clementine greeted when she was caught by Audrey.<p>

Audrey had asked Clementine why she was following her, and Clementine tried to explain her excitement of meeting someone that was new around here. "I...er...you see, you just moved around here, right?" she asked.

"Yes..."

"Well, you see, it gets kinda boring and lonely around here, and I decided to try to meet the new girl. But I wanted to follow you first." Boring and lonely? Even though she had a lot of family members, it was the best way to describe being ignored and avoided by your older brother and ignoring and avoiding your younger sister.

"Why follow me?"

"It's not everyday that I get the chance to be a secret spy!" Clementine was being extremely truthful, though she sounded a bit childish. But she was only technically nine years old (she was still in the fifth grade), and she was turning ten on the thirtieth.

Audrey asked Clementine for her name, and Clementine answered by telling her that she was named 'Clementine Earl'.

They talked a bit, and found that they both enjoyed each others company. They got to know each other better, and soon, they were walking back down the path towards the mall.

"Back at my house, there's way too many people. I've got an older brother, a younger sister, and a baby sister." Clementine explained.

"Oh my," Audrey gasped. They were inside the mall now, and the warmth was great. Audrey felt warm and fuzzy inside to have someone to share her thoughts with, just like everyone else. "But I thought you said it was _lonely and boring."_

"Well, I try my best to avoid my younger sister, Clara. She can get really annoying sometimes, and starting a fight would not be a mature thing to do. My brother only wastes his time on his computer, and a baby is a baby, they need to sleep, you know."

Audrey nodded, then her face dimmed. "I've got no siblings. You've no idea how lucky you are."

When Audrey stayed silent, Clementine gaped at her. "Lucky?" she thought for a while. "Well, I guess I am. I mean, what is it like for you at home? I bet it's more lonely and boring for you than it is for me."

After a pause, Audrey spoke. "My parents...they're not the best parents to have." she smiled bitterly. "They...don't really appreciate me, and I guess the only thing I'm good at doing is running away. From them."

Clementine didn't know how to respond, so she stayed silent.

"I-I could tell you about them more some other time." Audrey concluded.

Clementine simply nodded.

Then, a thought struck Audrey and she smiled and chuckled. "You know, you're the second kid who 'stalked' me. That sort of creeps me out."

"Really?"

"Yup. I really wonder why. It was this young boy with white blond hair and blue eyes...like you. He's not your brother, is he?"

Clementine laughed. "My brother doesn't look like me and my sisters at all. He's the only one who looks like our father, who had brown hair and brown eyes. Plus, my brother Charles is 12, almost the same age as you are. How old was this little boy you were talking about?"

"He looked about your age..."

"You know...he might be from my class. People think we're related, but we're not - of course. His name is Scott Nolan." Clementine studied Audrey for a moment. "You know, you both have the same last name. What a coincidence."


	8. Reunion

"The newspaper..." Scott whispered to himself. He searched frantically all around the floor. He visualized how far it could have dropped, and even searched through the folds of the curtain.

He realized it wasn't _inside _the house. He peered out the window - still opened - and leaned over the edge. Scott shivered from a winter breeze that blew through his hair, and as he looked down at the snowy lawn, he realized that the newspaper had been here, but that was probably a while back.

As Scott studied the lawn, he saw footprints on the snow, leading up to the window, and the next print was not a footprint, but it looked a lot like the marks from a winter coat, as if someone had lay down flat on the ground - just like the print you get when you try to lie down and make a snow angel.

There was no sign of the paper, and Scott was started to get frustrated. Did the wind blow it away? Unlikely. That print was there for a reason. Somebody had been right outside the window, and they stole the newspaper.

* * *

><p>"I never noticed how you guys had the same last name," Clementine commented. "Weird."<p>

"That's kind of odd," Audrey agreed. Then she frowned. "I wish I knew why he was following me."

Clementine's eyes glinted as an idea sparked in her brain. "Why don't we go and find out?"

"Huh? What d'you mean?"

"I mean, we can just visit his house and _ask _him. Duh." Clementine said matter-of-fact like. "Or we could spy on _him._ Don't worry. I know where he lives. You guys are on the same street, by the way."

"I just moved into 33 Birch Elm. Where's he?"

"27 Birch Elm. Only..." Clementine thought for a moment. "Only about 3 houses away." She shrugged.

"So...we're just going to go up to him and ask. Okay."

"Mm hmm. It may seem a bit odd and straight forward, but hey, you need your answer, right?" Clementine turned around sharply and motioned for Audrey to go with her. Audrey was older and taller, so it looked like an eager child was dragging an older one with them.

"Come on," Clementine urged as they were outside once more and sprinting. Clementine was a small, skinny kid, but that meant that she was fast and agile. Audrey, was a teenager, so she was a bit slower than the speedy child.

When they finally turned a corner, continued running, and saw the big hill come closer, they knew they had arrived. They slowed their pace and made a small turn toward Scott's house.

"Hold on," Clementine stuck a hand out quickly before Audrey could ring the doorbell. Her eyes flicked quickly towards the front window and she motioned with a tilt of her head. "Open window. I have an idea."

Clementine crept over to the window, her knees slightly bent, and she was slouching a bit so that she wouldn't be so tall. She reached the window and crouched there, watching Scott intently.

What was he doing? Studying a newspaper. He was studying it far too intently. _What's so interesting about that piece of paper? _Clementine wondered. She almost gasped when Scott shifted a bit, then stood up. He was making his way towards the window.

Clementine leaned back and fell with a light thud_, _and then she was flat on her back and out of sight.

Scott was far too close to the window. Too close for Clementine's liking. _Please don't look down..._she urged in her mind. Then, just as Scott was about to reach the window, there was a sudden yelp and then a _thump. _The next thing Clementine knew, the newspaper in Scott's hand was flung onto her.

The newspaper rested in her hands, like it was meant to be there, and Clementine clutched it tightly so that it wouldn't drop. Then, she rolled over to her side, made a dive to the right, then crawled back to the pavement.

"I've got something," Clementine announced to Audrey. She leaning on the door, and waiting patiently. "Scott was so interested in this newspaper for some reason. I don't know why..." Clementine glanced at the paper, then gasped. She took it with both hands and skimmed the paper quickly.

"What is it? What does it say?" Audrey asked.

Clementine handed the paper to her. "See for yourself."

As Audrey continued to read the paper, she let out a little gasp and her mouth hung slightly open the whole time. "My gosh..." she whispered. "I understand what happened to my parents now but...that picture, those names...me and Scott are related!"

* * *

><p>"<em>Oh Scott!" <em>a voice rang into the living room. Scott quickly looked up and dropped the pillow back on the couch. He had been trying to think of a solution. But that voice...he knew that voice. It _must _belong to Clementine Earl, the girl in his class.

Of course, they weren't the best of friends, but she was _okay _in Scott's opinion. Never bothered him much, though she could snap at you anytime she wanted.

"Scott, I've got something of yours, and if you want it, you should answer the door!" Clementine said tauntingly, though for some reason she put on a British accent for a better (and stranger) effect.

Scott opened the door. "What do you want." It wasn't really a question, since Scott said it as though it were a statement and he was bored out of his mind. Well, that was until he saw the newspaper and Audrey. Then he goggled at them.

Scott started to stammer and sputter, but Clementine interrupted him. "I know you've probably been looking for this. You seemed intent to just stare at it for the rest of your life."

"I-I...it has valuable information, and it belongs to my Grandmother."

"Oh yes! You live with your Grandmother! I'd very much like to meet her." Clementine said cheerfully and she invited herself inside. She took Audrey with her and suddenly, turned serious. "Scott, you should have told her earlier."

"What? Tell who what?" Scott was a bit lost in his thoughts. This was happening a bit too fast for him.

Clementine took the rolled newspaper and slapped him in the head. "Idiot! You should have told Audrey that you guys were _related! _Do you know how important that is? What took you so long?!"

"Ouch! Careful with that paper!" Scott grabbed it from her hand. "I _tried _to tell her but I never knew how. Okay?"

"_You never knew how?!"_

"If _you _found out that you had a new sibling that was all grown up and didn't know you existed, how would _you_ talk to them? Plus, I was a bit excited to meet her."

"I don't think I'll get another sibling, so I'll never know. Plus, I don't get excited about my siblings."

"Oh yeah? How about when Charlotte came along?"

"That's different. She's _adorable. _I just hope Clara's or Charles's personality doesn't rub off on her." Clementine shivered at the thought.

"Okay, guys this is getting a bit off topic..." Audrey finally spoke for the first time. She took a deep breath and held out her hand. "Right, I'm Audrey Nolan and I'm that long-lost older sister that you finally found out about."

Scott shook her hand. "And I am Scott Nolan, the younger brother that wants to know about your new life."

Clementine cut in. "Okay, enough with unnecessary introductions! You already know each others names." She took a seat on the couch. "Now it's story time."


	9. The Story, The Past

"Hey Audrey, you think we could go to your house and meet your parents?" Scott asked hopefully.

Audrey paled. "Um...they, uh...don't really like visitors." she stammered. "Or me."

"Huh? I thought parents _have _to like their child, no matter what." Clementine said.

"The newspaper said that Audrey went to live with family friends," Scott explained. "They probably didn't like kids much, but took care of Audrey anyways because of our grandfather."

Clementine nodded. "That makes more sense."

For the next few minutes, Audrey talked about her life with her parents. Her words spilled out of her. She felt as though she'd kept her emotions bottled up for far too long, and now she finally had a small audience who listened to her and understood her.

"My dad always made the worst punishments for me," Audrey said. "No matter what I do, there always seemed to be something that he could pick on me for. Once, he almost abandoned me. We went on vacation and we stayed in a small cottage, and my parents almost left me there. They left right after dinner and didn't show up for the whole night. I got worried, so I called the police with a phone inside the cottage and well...I was with my parents again."

Clementine had a look of pure shock and horror written upon her face, but Scott only nodded as if he expected this. "So, now that you guys moved here, do they often ignore you?" he asked.

Audrey sighed. "Sometimes. Other times, they go back to yelling at me, or each other. No matter what they do, it reminds me of every single time they harmed me, or made me feel awful."

It was true. Audrey grimly remembered the first day they moved here. Her dad had gotten so frustrated and mad, he took all his anger out on her. He warned her about the 'cold room' and threatened to lock her in there if she didn't behave.

Of course, Audrey tried her best to behave, for she only entered the cold room later on...just to find the body of her Aunt slumped on the floor.

Audrey was about to say more, but a loud crash - like the sound of breaking glass - from the kitchen made her stop abruptly. After a few seconds, Clementine was the first to speak. "What the heck was that?"

"I-I don't know." Scott stammered. "Let's...um...go check it out."

Audrey had a terrible feeling about this, and for some reason, she knew that whatever they were going to see, it wouldn't be good. She also had a horrible idea of who could cause such a great crash.

And they got up and left.

* * *

><p>When the kids got to the kitchen, the first thing they saw was a big mess. Scott couldn't believe his eyes. A bunch of dishes and bowls had been violently thrown to the ground, and the force of the throw caused most of them to crack and break into pieces.<p>

A few fancy glasses - such as Grandma Martha's special martini glasses - were shattered right on top of the counter. Cutlery was thrown all around the place.

Cupboard doors were left open, and the contents inside all fell on top of the counters, and on the ground as well. The bag of flower seemed to have imploded, and egg yolk and bits were left on the refrigerator door, as if they had been tossed carelessly aside.

The worst thing out of the whole mess was the fact that _no one was around._

"Grandma Martha?!" Scott cried. _If anyone knows how this happened, it ought to be Grandma. _Scott told himself.

"Yes?" she answered, her voice floating down the staircase. That meant she was still upstairs.

"Um...have you by any chance been downstairs like, 10 seconds ago, and made a big mess in the kitchen?"

"Well, no, Scott. I cleaned it up half an hour ago. And-"

"Scott, don't touch that! You're gonna cut yourself!" Clementine suddenly shrieked. Scott flushed. He was bending to pick up and study a shattered piece of glass, and he forgot how dangerous it could be.

Grandma Martha inhaled sharply. "Are...are those visitors?" Then, the sound of footsteps came from upstairs, and then Grandma Martha appeared behind them. "Why hello there! May I introduce - my goodness! What happened here?!"

Audrey spoke for the first time after the commotion. "That's what we want to know."

Grandma Martha gasped. "Goodness me...Audrey! I haven't seen you in ages! Today is full of surprises!" she laughed. "What's next, an elephant stomps into the room?"

Scott almost hissed at her for possibly jinxing their chances, until he realized how unlikely that was. But wasn't this mess unlikely as well? Who could have ruined the kitchen like this, and so quickly as well?

"Kids, step aside." Grandma Martha cautioned. "I'll take care of this later. Come on now, everybody should come to the living room. I've got to properly meet my granddaughter!"

* * *

><p>"So how have Josh and Erica been taking care of you? Are they good parents?" Grandma Martha pestered Audrey with questions, and Audrey only answered with a simple 'yes' or 'no'.<p>

After that, Grandma Martha finally got up and left to clean up the mess in the kitchen. They had been staying at the house for so long that it was becoming dark. It _was _after all, winter, so the days got darker so much faster.

"Who _do _you think did that?" Clementine asked.

Scott informed them about all the possibilities. "Maybe, someone picked the lock for the back door, got in, took everything and wrecked it. Then, as we were in shock, he could've did the last of his damage and escaped."

"You guys..." Audrey started. She wanted to tell them _everything _that happened after she moved here. All the horrible, almost supernatural things that happened.

"Or, they could've-"

"You guys!" Audrey tried again. Scott and Clementine turned around, and she finally had their attention. Audrey took a deep breath, then started explaining. "After I moved here...strange things have been happening. It started off with me finding a...a _dead body _in my basement. Then, one night, the lights in my room closed all by themselves and-"

Clementine obviously couldn't contain all her questions. "Hold on Audrey. There's _got _to be an explanation for all of this. Maybe someone trapped themselves in the basement by accident. Maybe the light bulbs in your room were too old. Maybe-"

"Maybe you could explain _this._" Scott shoved the newspaper into her hand. Clementine had obviously forgotten all the information written upon it, and she reread it.

"Um...so maybe that person _didn't _lock themselves in the basement by accident. It was murder."

"I know," Audrey whispered. For some reason, she felt as though someone was eavesdropping. "I almost experienced 'sleep paralysis' and I got a warning in Morse Code when I was alone in my room."

"I can't imagine..." Scott murmured. "That's just plain creepy."

"How is it possible, though?" Clementine exclaimed. "I can't look at the logical side...wait, I don't think my brain _has _a logical side." She sighed.

Audrey choked back a sob. She was sharing her frightening experiences with her new friends, and it was difficult to keep her emotions under control. "I-I don't know how to explain all of this. This is really hard for me to absorb and take in...I'm _afraid, _guys. I don't know what to do!"

"Audrey, anyone would be afraid in your position." Scott assured. "I don't even know what to do after you explained it to us, and I'm not the one experiencing it!"

Audrey managed a small smile. "Oh...and at the mall, I saw this...transparent man. He was holding a gun, and he had a scowl on his face and-"

The lights in the room exploded at that exact moment, and sparks flew above all their heads.


	10. A Special Talent

**AN: I may not make many chapters as quickly as before, since I suddenly had a bunch of tests and I'm using all my free-time for drawing, so that I could submit it into a book.**

* * *

><p>Audrey, Clementine, and Scott all shrieked with terror. Audrey was surprised at the fact that Scott had the highest scream out of the three of them.<p>

Grandma Martha made her way towards the living room as quickly as she could. When she saw the light bulbs of the lights all shattered, she had a puzzled and horrified expression written across her face.

"How...?" she stammered, then shakily inhaled.

"I don't know either, Grandma." Scott choked out.

"Grandma Martha, we apologize for the inconvenience. We don't know how-" Clementine started to say, but Grandma Martha interrupted her.

"It's alright, darlings. I know it's not your fault. These lights must be old, or something of that sort." Grandma Martha assured them. "Yes, it is quite inconvenient...Audrey, Clementine, I think you two kids should go home now. It's already dark outside, and your parents must be terribly worried."

Audrey kept her head down at that last part. Her parents wouldn't care if she died, much less go home.

"You kids can come back tomorrow," Grandma Martha continued. "Me and Scott will have to clean up this mess."

Audrey and Clementine nodded, said their farewells, then gathered their belongings and left.

* * *

><p>Outside in the chilly air, Audrey and Clementine trudged back home. Audrey lived on top of the big hill, and the building that Clementine lived in was on the opposite side. Audrey decided to walk with Clementine until they reached her building, and then she would leave. That was because Clementine was younger, and probably a bit more vulnerable.<p>

Clementine was glad that Audrey was here. She never walked by herself when it was so dark and late. She had already missed dinner.

Clementine buried her head under the hood of her jacket, trying to stay warm. Her voice was muffled by a scarf that covered her mouth. "Audrey, that man you saw wasn't a ghost."

"Man?" Audrey asked, puzzled.

"That guy you were talking about back at Scott's house. Looked transparent. Had a mean scowl and a shotgun."

"Oh. Him."

"Well, he's not a ghost or a spirit or anything supernatural." Clementine assured her. "He's one of your neighbors."

Audrey's mouth fell open a bit, but she quickly closed it when the cold air mingled with her warm breath. "He's my neighbor?"

Clementine nodded. "He looks transparent because he wears old black and white clothing. He's really old, and he doesn't like to talk with many people, which is probably why he scowls so much in public. He adores his grandson, who's likes to do things like shooting darts or playing with toy guns. I bet he was just getting his grandson a Christmas present."

Audrey paused, then asked, "What's his name, then? How old is his grandson?"

"Um...the old man's name is Ivor Glenn. His grandson's name is Finley Glenn."

"Wait a minute...how do you know all this?" Audrey asked.

"I...uh...know everyone here very well. I've been here all my life. Oh, and Finley's in my fifth grade class." Clementine explained. Finley wasn't annoying or anything; he didn't talk to Clementine much.

"Fifth grade? I though you were nine."

"I'm turning ten-years-old tomorrow. On Christmas. That still means I'm in grade five." Clementine said.

"Well, then. Happy-early-birthday and Merry Christmas!" Audrey said as cheerfully as she could.

Clementine thanked her. "I hope you have a safe and exciting holiday, Audrey." then, she added, "And keep that paranormal stuff out of your mind. Besides, you can't actually _see_ ghosts. That's just how kids' stories describe them. They're not actually there, you could _feel_ them there, though..."

Audrey narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "How do you know _that_?"

"I...um...do a lot of research for this...speech I was supposed to do and..." Clementine started to stutter nervously, and it was obvious that she was lying.

Audrey sighed. "Tell me the real reason for your knowledge."

Clementine pouted. "You won't believe me."

"Yes, I will. I will try my best."

Clementine took a deep breath, then said, "Well...let's just say that I can see spirits."

Audrey's eyes widened, but she didn't interrupt Clementine. She let her resume speaking. "It...it actually started last year. I saw my baby sister before she was born. She was just at the end of the hallway, and my mother was in a room near her. I didn't actually see her, though. I felt her. She was happy, and excited to come live with us. For spirits, you pretty much only feel their presence, and maybe catch a small glimpse of their appearance...

"I did some research online, and it turns out that spirits like to stay around their mother before they're born so that they would get to know them better. It also turns out that people who see spirits are very rare, and I seem to be one of them."

They were silent for a while, then Audrey spoke. "You actually thought I wouldn't believe you?"

"You...you actually believe my story?" Clementine asked, bewildered. "Doesn't it sound crazy? Impossible?"

"No. Not after what I've been through." Audrey paused for a moment, then said, "I can't see those spirits, but I feel like they contact me. Like that one time when a someone sent a warning to me in Morse Code...I think that was my dead Aunt."

Clementine nodded slowly.

"Clementine...have you experienced anything very...frightening?" Audrey asked slowly. "I mean, with your special ability to detect and see spirits, I have a feeling that you must have gone through something rather scary, right?"

Clementine didn't respond for several moments. Then, finally, she answered with a barely audible word: "Yes."

Audrey waited for Clementine to tell her another story, and she did. "I nearly died."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Okay, I apologize for disappearing for almost 3 weeks and not updating a new chapter in forever. I already said this, and I'll try to update more, but that might be a bit difficult, like always. So, what do you guys think happened to Clementine? What's the story gonna be? You could write about that in the reviews.<strong>


	11. A Presence

Clementine giggled, and her serious face stretched into a grin. "I'm just joking."

Audrey blinked. "Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously."

"Why the big joke, though?"

"I don't know...you seem like a pretty _dim_ person - no offense - and I wanted to lighten things up a bit." Clementine explained.

Soon, Clementine and Audrey reached Clementine's building, and Audrey had to go back home. They said their farewells, and Clementine headed towards her building, mumbling, "It was all a joke..."

* * *

><p>The air was warm, the room was bright, and Clementine's siblings were noisy.<p>

"CLARA! YOU COME BACK HERE!" Charles yelled, chasing Clara all around the house. Clara giggled hysterically, holding Charles's unplugged-computer-mouse, while Charles growled furiously.

Clementine threw herself onto her bed, trying to use her pillow to block out all the noise. The door to Clementine's bedroom was closed and locked, and after a long moment, she finally sat up and waited for the clamor to die out.

When Clementine's mom, Megan Earl, finally lectured Clara and Charles, everything was quiet.

Clementine stared at her room, and her gaze rested upon the piano. In her room, there was a bunk bed in one corner (Clara shared a room with her); two messy desks with bright lamps; Clementine's posters and pictures on one wall and Clara's on the other; Clementine's musical instruments; and their electronic devices.

Clementine strode over to the piano, while running her fingers through her terribly tangled hair. She sat down and pulled out her personal music book, and started to compose a brand new song.

She found a good rhythm and melody, worked on all the notes, and made sure that everything in her composition made sense, according to the time signature.

Clementine played her slow song over and over, trying to relax herself. _They won't come back..._she told herself repeatedly. _It's just me. Spirits and ghosts don't exist. It's just me..._

Clementine wasn't lying to Audrey. She was trying to be honest, but ended up lying anyways. She remembered the conversation clearly, and the memory kept on invading her mind.

It actually did start last year. Clementine thought that her eyes were playing tricks on her, but how can her eyes make her feel someone's presence and emotions, when no one's there?

She still adored her little sister, but sometime's looking at Charlotte's innocent blue eyes reminded Clementine of the day it all started.

As she played through her favorite part of the song, Clementine remembered every single spirit she encountered. They weren't all as cheerful and friendly as Charlotte seemed.

_That girl's a goner, _a voice said in her mind. Clementine faltered, confused. Then she felt a cold a eerie presence. _She'll never be saved...her fear will destroy her, corrupt her mind, even before I do. _

Clementine was puzzled, but she slowly understood. She remembered the newspaper, remembered the murderer, remembered Audrey...

Audrey.

_Fear...yes, fear will be her worst enemy, _the voice continued, seeming to speak inside her mind. Clementine listened intently, not as scared as she should be, since she was used to the voices and...visitors. _Don't worry, child. You'll go right after her brother, and he'll go right after her._

* * *

><p>After all the horrifying and unexpected excitement, helping Grandma Martha clean up the mess from the kitchen and the living room, Scott felt drowsy.<p>

He trudged upstairs and went to his bedroom, where he met another big mess. Unmade bed, unorganized desk, and long-forgotten food wrappers seemed to appear suddenly, even though they'd been there forever.

Scott, being a neat-freak, tidied up his room as well. Then he slumped on his bed, covered himself with a warm, furry blanket, and dozed off for a nap.

While he napped, Scott didn't expect dreams. Well, more like nightmares.

Scott dreamed that he was in the middle of the ocean, with the water rising up and down crazily, and a storm raging overhead. He fought to stay on the surface of the water, to avoid all the menacing bolts of lightning, and to stay conscious.

His limbs felt heavy and weak, and he was starting to choke on the water. His vision was blurry and the storm only made it worse. Strange forces seemed to be trying to push him under the water.

They were trying to drown him.

Scott couldn't fight anymore. He let the furious tide carry him up, then he shot under the water and made no attempt to swim to the top. Scott didn't even hold his breath. His eyes closed and he fell into oblivion.

* * *

><p>Scott bolted upright after his nightmare. His breathing was heavy, and his t-shirt stuck onto him, due to all his sweating while he slept.<p>

He thought back on what he just dreamed of, and looked back on a dozen more nightmares where he was horribly wounded, where he died, or someone he knew died. Were nightmares supposed to be this common?

Scott bet that if he was about to list all of his nightmares and explain briefly explain them, he could write a novel.

He opened his notebook, where there was neatly written notes for school and short summaries of his day. In the notebook, there was also a tally keeping track of how many nightmare's he had, and he wrote down the most terrifying ones.

Drowning wasn't the scariest dream. Scott had dreamed of being tortured to death before, with a sharp knife cutting at his skin and him being trapped and helpless while the unbearable pain continued to stab at him.

It was so real, vivid.

Scott drew a straight, vertical line on his tally-of-nightmares, and counted a total of 103 nightmares.

It was strange, in his opinion, to have so many nightmares. What was even weirder was that they were mostly showing him a variety of ways of ways that he would die.

Death.

* * *

><p>The wind howled and seemed to push Audrey back. She held herself, trying to store the warmth, though she only felt the chilly winter air. Audrey's hands felt numb, and her face was so cold that she felt as if it was burning.<p>

Audrey stumbled in the darkness, and finally reached her neighborhood. All the lights were off on the street, and even in the houses.

Everything seemed gloomy, sinister.

Other than the coldness, Audrey also felt as though someone was following her. The feeling became so strong that she opened her mouth and said, "Clementine? Scott? Is that you?"

No answer.

Then who was it?

Audrey turned around, and saw that no one was there. She was all by herself. Her heart was thundering painfully now, and Audrey hurriedly started to walk again.

When her new house came into view, she ran towards it with little joy, then opened the door and embraced the warmth.

It wasn't long before more chaos took place.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Alright, I know that I disappeared again, and that I haven't been updating...again. Let's just say that I had a lot of school stuff (speeches and <em>important <em>stuff) and that I finally got around to updating.**

**Also, I realized that Scott wasn't really a big deal in the story, and he was sort of meaningless, so I decided to add all the nightmares for him. **


End file.
